Prince William releases personal message as he prepares for family rivalry

The Prince of Wales is a passionate sports fan and sent his well-wishes to the Welsh rugby squad ahead of their first Six Nations match on Friday.

In a personal message shared on social media, Prince William, 42, wrote: “Wishing @welshrugbyunion the very best of luck tonight against France, and throughout @sixnationsrugby! Amdani!”

The phrase “Amdani bois” is a phrase used by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) in reference to the Six Nations tournament.

William became patron of the WRU in 2016, taking over from Queen Elizabeth II, and there’s likely to be a bit of friendly rivalry in his household in the coming weeks.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are renowned for their competitive nature, and Kate became patron of England’s Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League in 2022.

Wales face England in the final week of the Six Nations on 15 March at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

No doubt William and Kate will be keeping a close eye on the respective teams as the tournament progresses.

Kate’s sister, Pippa Matthews, previously opened up the Middleton family’s love for rugby in a piece for Vanity Fair in 2014: “Rugby was a big thing for our family, and the focal point was international matches, which were often played on Saturday afternoons and were as much social as sporting occasions.

“We’d plan our weekends around the big matches, a quick bite to eat at halftime or lunch on our laps, typically a chicken potpie or something equally cosy and English. If we lost, my dad would be in a state of despair for the rest of the afternoon, as if he’d actually lost the game himself.”

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Prince George joined his parents for his first major rugby match between England and Wales last February where England saw a 23-19 victory. Take a look back in the clip below…

Meanwhile, William’s aunt, the Princess Royal, is expected to attend Scotland’s first match against Italy in Edinburgh.

Princess Anne has been patron of the Scottish Rugby Union since 1986 and rarely misses a match.

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The royals are avid sports fans and count talented equestrians (Anne and her daughter Zara Tindall) and former rugby star Mike Tindall among their family members.

William, who is also a huge football fan, watched his beloved club Aston Villa in their Champions League match against Celtic on Wednesday at Villa Park.

The Prince went through a rollercoaster of emotions during the nail-biting match, which ended in a 4-2 victory for Villa.